Big Oil has man in foreign policy

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

By Jim Hightower

OtherWords

The Koch brothers’ extremist political agenda of empowering multinational corporations to reign as sovereigns has always been inextricably entwined with the profiteering agenda of their wholly-owned, $100-billion-a-year industrial conglomerate.

The brothers’ plutocratic view of business-as-government even has a name: Pompeo. As in Mike Pompeo, the Trump regime’s latest secretary of state.

Years ago, while living in the billionaire brothers’ hometown of Wichita, Kan., Mike got lucky when they pumped a load of Koch capital into a business he’d started, turning him into a millionaire. Then, they partnered with him in another business that essentially made him a Koch Industries subsidiary: politics.

In 2010, they turned this business asset they’d created into a political asset, providing the money from KOCHPAC and the backing of their right-wing front group to elect Pompeo to serve as “the Congressman from Koch.” The brothers even installed a Koch Industries lobbyist to run his congressional office.

So, Mike’s been a loyal Koch-head, conferring with them and backing bills to advance their corporate and political fortunes. Their investment in Mike became a bonanza last year when he became Trump’s yes-man as the head of the CIA. And now, they’ve hit the political jackpot, with Pompeo becoming head of the State Department.

On everything from international oil deals that profit multinational giants like Koch Industries to relentless opposition to all global efforts that would restrict fossil fuel profiteers from causing more climate change, the Koch’s personal political insider is now their global corporate asset.

To keep up with how Pompeo converts Koch-headed corporatism into U.S. foreign policy, go to https://www.prwatch.org/topics/koch-exposed.

Jim Hightower, an OtherWords columnist, is a radio commentator, writer, and public speaker. He’s also editor of the populist newsletter, The Hightower Lowdown.